Brown Rice and Goat Cheese Cakes

I think this is such a great meal to jump start your diet just in time for spring.  These cute and yummy little cakes only have around 250 calories each.  I served them over a heaping plate of field greens to bump up the nutrition factor.  The serving size is 1 cake per person, which doesn’t sound like a lot, but these weigh in at over 3 ounces each… they’re heavy little suckers!

About the Goat Cheese:  I used Floralie^® Goat Cheese, described as having a mild yet tangy flavor.  I had never worked with goat cheese prior to this, and  I thought it was very similar to cream cheese but much creamier and delicious.  This will be at the top of my new favorite things list for sure.  Also, it’s healthier with less fat, calories, and cholesterol.

This was my first time making this recipe, and as usual I got a little nervous in the kitchen, hoping the dish would turn out okay.  The recipe calls for 2 medium carrots and 6 medium shallots, and I mildly panicked because it didn’t list the exact measurements.  I’m a real stickler for precision when it comes to cooking, but I’ve been working on that, and things have been turning out just fine, as you can see.  Basically, you can’t mess these up.  There’s minimal prep work before you literally just throw everything into the food processor and pulse until it’s well blended.

I found myself “sampling” quite a bit of the mixture before I thought ewww, there’s raw egg white in here.  So I stopped eating it, and luckily, there was enough left to form 6 patties.    I made the cakes in the shape of biscuits rather than “hamburger style” patties.  I wanted them to look fairly tall with flat edges.

This is such a fast and fun recipe to whip up, especially if you’ve already cooked your brown rice in advance.  I usually make it ahead and put it in the fridge to save time on the day of cooking.

Here’s a tip:  If you’ve always wondered how to make your rice not sticky… think of it as pasta, and boil it in a large pot of water for about 30-40 minutes. 

Brown Rice and Goat Cheese Cakes

Recipe Source:  EatingWell.com

6 servings

Prep Time:  15 mins

Cook Time:  1 h 20 mins

Rest Time: 10 mins

Total Time to make: 1 h 45 mins

Ingredients:

• 3/4 cup brown rice
• 4 tsp extra virgin olive oil
• 6 medium shallots, roughly chopped
• 2 medium carrots, roughly chopped
• 1/2 cup pecans, toasted (if you buy them un-toasted, preheat oven to 350° and bake for 10 minutes)
• 3 oz goat cheese, soft
• 1 large egg white
• 1/2 tsp dried thyme
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp cracked black pepper

Directions:

1.  Bring a large pot of water to a boil (about 4 quarts).  Add rice and boil for about 30-40 minutes, or until rice is tender, then drain.

2.  Meanwhile, heat 2 teaspoons oil in a large skillet over medium heat.  Add shallots; cook, stirring often, until soft, 2-3 minutes.  Add carrots, reduce the heat to low and cook, stirring often, until softened and the shallots are lightly browned.  About 4 minutes.  Remove from heat.

3.  Preheat oven to 400°F

4.  Transfer the cooked vegetables and rice to a large food processor.  Add toasted pecans, goat cheese, egg white, thyme, salt and pepper.  Pulse until well blended but still a little coarse.  Scrape into a large bowl.  With wet hands, form the mixture into six 3-inch patties (about 1/2 cup each).

5.  Heat the remaining 2 teaspoons oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat.  Add the patties and cook until well browned, 3-4 minutes per side.

6.  Transfer to a baking sheet and bake until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the middle registers at least 160°F, about 10-15 minutes.

Serving suggestion:  Serve with mixed greens dressed with olive oil, freshly squeezed lemon juice, salt, and freshly cracked black pepper.

This recipe was a big hit in my house.  Nice consistency and great nutty pecan flavor with a hint of tang from the goat cheese.  I can’t wait to try goat cheese again soon.  Snack idea- spread some creamy goat cheese on whole grain crackers, drizzle with evoo and serve with a side of grapes.

This recipe is dedicated to my step-sister, Jamie.  We could all use a little more vegetarian meals in our lives! 

Enjoy!

Rachael xoxo